Together Forever
by Ariday
Summary: After a gypsy falls in love with a wolf they have a child. However a series of unfortuate events happen and the child becomes parentless. She was adopted by a vampire and his brothers and he promised to her mother to care for her and help her grow.
1. Prologue

In Florence, lived a young gypsy by the name of Esmeralda Florentine. She was known for her emerald green eyes and her chocolate brown hair. In other words her beauty and her fortune readings. Her nomad family often moved from time to time to make a living. A few moths after Esmeralda turned 21, her family moved Milan where she met Herald. Herald was 23 years old at the time and was from a tribe near Milan. There were so many things that made Herald different form any other man Esmeralda knew or ever met. Herald loved Esmeralda so much that he even trusted her with his secret that no one else but the tribe knew. Herald was a werewolf. The tribe didn't take to kindly to gypsies nor Esmeralda's family to Herald. Both families were like cats and dogs-they never got along but one thing they both agreed on was that Esmeralda and Herald should never see each other again. However, the disputes between their families could not bring them down. Instead they decided to leave their families to be together forever. Herald loved Esmeralda so much that he left his tribe to be with her and Esmeralda was more than happy to settle anywhere with Herald once and for all. In the end they both decided Venice would be the perfect place.

One year later in a cool winter midnight the couple bore their first and only daughter. Living in Venice wasn't such a good idea after all, so the family moved to Milan. Herald was still a werewolf and did his job as one to protect his family from the bloodsuckers. Soon he met an unfortunate fate. Police claim it was an animal attack but it seems only Esmeralda knew the truth. By the time the child was 2 and half years old Esmeralda and her child moved back to Venice. Esmeralda made a living by reading palms and telling fortunes.

One night a man came to have his fortune read. He was tall, pale, mysterious and good looking with the most golden mesmerizing eyes. Every night since then he would come just to talk to Esmeralda. She knew there was something special about him just like Herald but this didn't seem bother Esmeralda as long as she knew her child was safe. Esmeralda was curious so she read through her tattered books and she came to the conclusion that this man was a bloodsucker. It wasn't long before Esmeralda realized that this man had fallen in love with her for the years have treated Esmeralda well. Esmeralda couldn't bring herself to confess her love for him because she still loved Herald. Then again she couldn't bring herself to believe that she had fallen for someone or something pertaining to Herald's death. Yet, she knew he wasn't like other blood suckers. He was like the best friend Esmeralda never had. Esmeralda would tell him everything from her love life to her family but she never told him what she knew about him and he never found out.


	2. It's Today

December was near an end and the animal attacks had risen. People were afraid their villages would be next. Some talked to gypsies, like Esmeralda and others turned to religion for salvation. Unforeseen animal attacks could not be possible so they wouldn't stop until they had reasonable answers. They lived in a time where vampires, witches and magic existed therefore the only explanation would be vampires. This began to make sense to everyone and soon enough so called 'hunters' gathered to get rid of the cause.

By the month more and more people would make a visit to Esmeralda's small tent home seeking desperate help such as getting rid of symptoms and most often asking for help with the huntings. Esmeralda did not agree with the hunters. Their law was that anyone seen doing anything suspicious were immediately considered not human. Most of the people the hunters have killed were innocent lives. For this, Esmeralda would often be tempted to misguide anyone who wanted to get rid of the bloodsuckers to keep her admirer safe.

It was a gloomy evening and a storm seemed to be approaching. Mostly everyone seemed to be inside their homes. As Esmeralda was rearranging her knick knacks she turned around and saw a man holding a pocket watch.

"Oh! You startled me. Can I help you?" asked Esmeralda from a distance away from the man. She looked at the man puzzled and he looked at the pocket watch. He looked back up to her and then to his pocket watch again.

"Nessun…grazie," (No...thank you) he said in his native language which Esmeralda completely understood. The man turned around and walked away.

Esmeralda then continued to clean up. Since no one would be coming in anymore Esmeralda decided to read her future. She knew that it was not good luck for a gypsy to read their own future but she was desperate to know an answer. She flipped through her tarot cards to find something unpleasant. She couldn't believe the nonsense so she looked through her crystal ball. What she saw wasn't pretty. Esmeralda, her child and her mysterious admirer were in danger. Believing the only way to save her loved ones was to not let them worry at all so once again she never said anything. She would try to change the prediction herself so nobody would get hurt.

Weeks have passed since Esmeralda's prediction and so far she has done a good job in keeping it to herself, though she has grown tense. She couldn't figure out exactly when her prediction might come true. Today was no different; it was her daughter's 3rd year of birth. She loved her daughter so much as any mother would but also because even as a child they were so much alike. For example, they both like to rest during the day and live life at night, they can't stay in the same place too long and they are both outgoing. The only difference Esmeralda could find between her and her daughter where the color of her eyes. It seems that her daughter inherited Herald's brown eyes but slightly lighter. This, no one could resist. Every time someone would visit Esmeralda and accidentally come upon her daughter they couldn't look away from the girl's dazzling eyes.

Midnight was approaching and the mysterious stranger would soon be coming to join Esmeralda celebrate her daughter's birthday. She was getting her daughter ready when she heard some noises outside her home. She ignored them thinking it must've been the winter wind. It was 11:23 p.m when Esmeralda thought about finally telling her admirer how she felt about him because she never knew when the day her prediction would come true. So she went through her drawers and grabbed a piece of paper, a quill and some ink.

After she was done she folded the letter and sealed it inside an envelope. She placed the letter on the table near her crystal ball. It was now 11:48 and she walked to the back of their small tent home where her daughter was playing with tarot cards. Once again she heard a rustling noise this time followed by faint whispers. She grabbed her daughter and wrapped her in many sheets and blankets.

"Hush il mio caro," (Hush my dear) she whispered to her child in Italian as she hid her in a basket, ran to get the letter and placed it in the blankets with her daughter.

Then she ran to the front of the tent where she was greeted by three men adorned with garlic necklaces and pendants. The man in the middle held a lit torch in one hand and a pocket watch in the other.

"Voi…" (You...) said Esmeralda confused.

It was the same man that came to her home earlier. The man smiled as he looked at the pocket watch and then back to Esmeralda. He then simply nodded his head signaling the other men and they walked towards her. She turned from the man in the middle to the other men who began rummaging through her home.


	3. Mark My Words

The men continued to look through her home and began throwing everything to the floor.

"You! What do you want? I demand you leave my house at once!" She said stepping forward as she flung her arm directing to the door trying to hide the fear in her voice.

Just then someone grabbed her arms and held them behind her back. She struggled to free herself but it was no use, the man holding her out strengthened her fragile self. She just stood there helplessly as the other men kept going through her stuff.

"Don't tell me you don't know why we're here?" said the man holding the rusty gold compass in his right hand and the torch on his left.

He walked towards her and kicked a piece of debris out of his way. He set the torch aside and looked back at her. The only thing separating them was a small gap in between.

"You know perfectly well why we're here," he said as he looked straight into her eyes.

"You're insane!"

"Where are they? I know there are more!" He said pointing furiously at the small compass in his hand.

"You don't know what you're talking about! All those innocent people! How dare you! You should be ashamed!" She yelled pulling herself forward and the man took a step back. The man holding her tightened his grip on her arms.

"Enough! You can't hide them forever! Pathetic creatures! I never liked your kind…always causing havoc."

He had hit a nerve. In the blink of an eye Esmeralda spat in his face. He slowly wiped it off with the back of his hand and in an instant slapped her across the face. She looked down to the ground, her hair covering her face.

"Take her away," he said to the man holding Esmeralda. He scanned through the house, held the torch to a curtain and let the lit torch fall to the ground. He then walked out the door.

"What do you want from me? You just can't come and take me away from my home! How dare you! Have you no shame?" she protested.

"We don't want anything with you but we wouldn't want to risk having you run off and turning others would we?"

"I don't know anything I suggest you quit wasting your time and make up for the damage you have caused to others!" she said before they could cover her mouth with a restraint.

She moved her head back and forth trying to escape the restraint until someone held her chin tightly and another secured the restraint. Esmeralda just gave them all a menacing glare as her hands were being tied behind her back.

She was then taken into the back of a cart with bars and thrown inside. The metal bars were locked and the men walked away. Her eyes began to tear as the distance between her and her home seemed to be far away by the second.

"Oh my beloved daughter...I swear when I get out of here I will find you. I hope you forgive me if I do something reckless I hope you understand," she said thinking to herself with tears now streaming down her cheeks.

The stars where covered by thick clouds and the only light shone was coming from between the trees through what seemed like a forest. It was cold and the only thing visible was the brightly lit full moon. She stopped crying and tried to regain herself. After everything the man told Esmeralda tonight she came to the conclusion that he assumed she was a vampire.

"Not all of them are bad," she kept thinking to herself.

The cart finally came to a stop and Esmeralda could hear the shouting of men. It sounded like they were rounding up wild animals.

"Come on! Get out," said a big man as he pulled Esmeralda from the back of the cart. She feebly walked down the ramp with her head looking around her surroundings.

"Where am I?" she wondered.

She wasn't the only one that had been brought in the middle of the forest. There were other people. Men, women and some children but they all looked the same. They all had pale translucent skin and even in the dark their crimson red eyes were visible. Some of them had the physical appearance that resembled Samuel's, the man that came to visit Esmeralda every night.

'My god' she thought. It was a community of vampires.

Most of them had restraints covering their mouth and ropes tied around their hands behind them. Chains were around their wrapped around their necks and each person was walking in a single straight line one after another. If one refused to move the chain around their neck would be pulled by the others forced to move. There was a bright warm light shining nearby and when Esmeralda focused her eyes it looked like a house on fire.

The man held Esmeralda's arm with her hands still tied behind her back and walked her to the front of another man adorned in crosses and silver. The man approached Esmeralda and took the restraint off her mouth. Fear began to overwhelm her.

"What the hell is this?" was the first thing she managed to say.

"What does it look like?" he sneered.

She did not answer and instead looked at him with fury.

"Oh don't worry theses aren't all of them. Where are the rest? I'm sure you know," he asked as he cupped her face with his hand. She jerked her head back and pushed herself backwards. She didn't get very far because someone still held her by the arm. "Fine! You don't want to speak? Fair enough."

Esmeralda then winced as she felt a sharp pain in her stomach. She looked down and saw the man had stabbed her with a piece of sharp wood.

"I'll ask you again. Where are the rest? You're wearing my patience! You and those blood suckers have caused nothing but mayhem! This is the end for you all! Mark my words. Now I'll ask you one more time. Where are they?"

"I don't know!" she said as she flung herself forward. "Either way you'll kill me. Does it matter then?" she smiled a wicked smile. The wound in her stomach was still stinging but she managed to ignore it.

"Kill you? Who said this nonsense?" he chuckled looking at the other men who laughed with him. "On the contrary we would spare you. Why do you think you're still alive? It's your life for theirs...what do you think?"

She scoffed. "Want to know what I think? I think you're pathetic! If I knew I would never tell you anything! I would rather die than betray others to someone like you!"

"Very well," he said as he swiftly stabbed her once more, this time in the heart. She gasped for air before her whole world faded to black before her very eyes. "Burn her," he said to the man still holding her as he walked away.

Meanwhile the man that always came to visit Esmeralda finally arrived. What he saw was nothing he expected to see. He came to see Esmeralda and celebrate her daughter's birthday. But debris on the floor, broken glass and a torn down home did not replace balloons or decorations. He quickly ran to the back of the house with his inhumane speed and found chaos. The room was silent but he sensed that the room was not completely deserted. He then heard a small cry turning into a louder cry. He followed the sound around the room. He didn't find anything but when he approached a pile of blankets he found Esmeralda's daughter crying. He reached out to carry her but when his fingertips touched the infant he felt a burning sensation run through his fingers and all through his body. He quickly withdrew his hands and looked at his hand. It looked normal to him but it felt as if he had ran his hands through flames for a long time. He looked back at the child and she looked back at him. She must've recognized who it was because her tears had stopped. He smiled and tried to pick her up once more.

"Shh, shh it's me its ok. I'm here now. It's ok."

He wrapped the infant in the blanket and picked her up from the basket. He slowly and carefully touched her face to wipe the tears with his cold clammy hand. After he had the child in his arms he spotted an envelope. He then held the child in one arm and bent down to grab the envelope. 'Samuel' it read in a neat black cursive in the middle. He put the envelope in his coat pocket and continued to look through the house. He went to the front of the house and found some books scattered on the floor. The titles were in a language he did not understand. He slowly stepped around the books and walked to the other side of the house. He looked down and saw the table where the crystal ball stood upside down and behind the table was pieces of shattered glass. He looked up and saw a small fire quickly beginning to grow. He ran out the tent and looked back as it caught in flames. He stayed there unable to move with the child still in his arms looking heart broken as the tent burned down to the ground. He couldn't stand to see the house burn down any longer so he turned his back and walked away.


	4. You Strike Me as a Smart Human

Samuel had arrived to his cabin house with the child in his arms. He opened the door and stepped inside.

"Brother! Where have you been? I've been worried sick! News has come around that they've rounded all the vampires. I thought they had taken you!" he looked at Samuel with exasperation but then held his tongue when all he saw on Samuel's face were eyes filled with sadness. "What's wrong brother? Why do you have a human with you?"

"They took her..." he said as he walked to the couch. He laid the child in the couch who was now sound asleep.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"This is her daughter. It's her birthday today. I went to her house and found nothing but a torn down home. It's my fault. They must've known she was hiding me. I should've arrived earlier!" he said with a clenched fist and teeth.

"No, no brother don't blame yourself these humans have no conscience they would take anyone even if you were too beautiful, strange or knowledgeable. They're insane."

"I suppose you are right," he sighed and walked towards the child and sat on the couch near her.

"What would Eric say?" asked Damon.

"You let me worry about that," he said as he began to think about what he would tell his oldest brother. "Eric won't be back in a few days anyways, he's too busy trying to find whoever turned him."

Eric was never too fond of humans, as obvious as he was once a human, his perspective on humans changed when he became a vampire. Nobody tried helping him when he was transforming, they all wanted to kill him. He also had a human girlfriend, but after he became a vampire, he never heard of her since. According to some she was killed by vampire hunters. Damon, the youngest brother, approached the sleeping child attempting to touch her small face.

"I wouldn't," said Samuel with a thin smile, "let her get to know you first."

Damon still had his hand extended towards the child and he thought about it for a while.

"You and your love for humans," he said as he put his hand down and walked away. Samuel just smiled. Alas he finally had privacy to read the letter Esmeralda left for him.

_Dear Samuel, I cannot leave this world without telling you how much you mean to me. I did what I could to protect you. That is how much you mean to me. Please don't blame yourself for anything. It's not your fault. However I do ask one thing from you. Please take care of my daughter. Treat her as if she were your own. I do not wish to be avenged so I ask that you change her name and never remind her of what happens. Take care. Love, Esmeralda_  
After he read the letter he lowered it and looked back at the sleeping child. He touched her cheek and a faint smile formed in his lips.  
'Aria' he whispered. He named her after his beloved mother.

He reached out and caressed the frame of her small face. She flinched a little partly because his hands were cold as ice. He wrapped a blanket around her and carried her to a room. The next morning the child began to awake. She opened her little auburn eyes and quickly sat up. She looked around and her lips formed a frown. Samuel walked to her and sat next to her.

"Good morning Aria," he said with a smile.

She stared into his eyes for a while and soon she began smiling herself. She stood up, reached out her arms and wrapped them around Samuel. He embraced her and carried her out of the room. He sat her on the couch of the living room while Damon was moping around in the kitchen.

"She's awake?" he asked enthusiastically.

"Yes, she is now. Aria this is my brother Damon," he introduced them to each other. Damon extended his hand to shake her hand and she did the same.

"Hello Aria," said Damon with a friendly smile. "Does she eat?" asked Damon.

"Are you hungry?" asked Samuel curiously. Aria simply shook head up and down with her wavy hair bouncing up and down. Samuel looked back at Damon; both looked at each other in a perplexed manner.

"Errmm…blood?" suggested Damon.

"Don't be silly, she is a human."

"Well what do you suppose we do?" asked Damon as Samuel stood up and grabbed his cloak hanging near the door.

"YOU are staying here with her; I'M going to the market."

"But-"

"Don't worry I think I can hold off the hunters for a while, as for Eric he should be here in a few weeks," said Samuel and walked out the door.

"Okay…" said Damon after Samuel had stepped out. He walked through the forest from his small home and into the village hoping no one suspected where he came from.

"Did you hear? The gypsy's home was burned to the ground yesterday," heard Samuel from a woman villager. He let out a sigh and continued walking. He arrived in front of a bakery where a group of men were standing outside. Samuel didn't want to risk his identity so he walked around the men and thought it'd be best if he came back to the bakery later.

While shopping around the village, Samuel picked up a strange scent. He was certain it wasn't a human's scent but since he couldn't distinguish the scent he ignored it.  
Meanwhile back at the residence, Damon just sat still next to Aria. "So uhh how old are you?" asked Damon looking at Aria who was playing with her feet and curiously looking around the house. She held out 3 fingers and put her hand back down.

"You strike me as a smart human," said Damon mostly to himself because Aria's mind seems to keep wandering around the house.

She looked bored so she climbed off the couch and began walking around the house. Damon just followed her around from behind. She walked to the back of the living room where she saw a few old pictures. She reached out to one frame attempting to see it closer.

"No, no, no! Be careful! Here," said Damon grabbing the picture from the counter for Aria to see. "That's Samuel and I when we were about your age. That's our mother…"  
She gave the frame back to Damon and continued to walk around. It was now about 9 a.m. after Aria traveled the whole house. She was bored now and began to become annoyed.

"Umm…I'm sure Samuel will be here anytime soon, just be patient. Do you talk at all?" asked Damon beginning to get curious about the being of a 3 year old human. "Can you say your name? A-r-i-a come on say it with me."

She just looked blankly at him and tried to sit herself on the couch. "No? Okay how about Damon?" he said as he lifted her up and sat her on the couch. "D-a-m-on," she poked his chest curiously. "Yes, my name is Damon. D-a-m-on."

"D-a-m-on," she spoke slowly.

"Damon," he repeated.

"Damon!" she said.

"Yes! Very good! Now say your name A-r-i-a" he said pointing at her.

"A-rr-iii-aaayy?"

"Errmm…close enough. A-r-i-a."

"A-r-i-aa" she said laughing.

"Good."

Just then the door opened and Damon froze in his seat.

"I'm back," said Samuel.

"Oh! You just love scaring me to death don't you?" said Damon standing up from his seat.

"Damon!" yelled Aria. Everyone turned to her and she just giggled.


	5. She's Here to Stay

Samuel began to put the items away in the kitchen and Damon followed.

"So have you thought about what you're going to tell Eric?" asked Damon as he put some cans in the cupboard.

"No, not really...why do you worry so much about that?" said Samuel as he walked to Aria and carried her in his arms.

"I well…I've grown fond of her" said Damon shyly.

"You've just met her!" said Samuel. "She's—Oooh I see…" said Samuel assuming Aria had become Damon's bloodsinger.

"No! It's not that! She just reminds me of someone…" said Damon trailing off. "So...are the hunters still out there?" said Damon changing the subject.

"Yes, unless they find something else to go after, unfortunately we are still the target."

"Well what about her?" pointed Damon to Aria. "We can't keep her locked in here till those men grow tired and old!"

"Don't you think I know that!" Samuel yelled angrily at Damon. He saw Damon's expression sadden and filled with fear.

"I'm sorry, but we must first talk to Eric," he smiled looking at Damon.

Damon slowly returned the smile.

"Hey Aria, are you hungry?"

She nodded her head and carried her to the kitchen and sat her on a chair. Her eyes barely met the top of the table and she just stared at it. Samuel walked to the living room where Damon was sitting reading. He looked up from his book and peered above the book cover to see Samuel reaching for a pillow. Samuel walked back to the kitchen, carried Aria with one arm and placed the pillow on the chair with the other. He then placed Aria back on the chair and this time her eyes well above the table. He went back to the stove and poured a warm soup inside a bowl and placed it in front of her. She looked at it then back at Samuel. He placed a spoon in the bowl and waited for her to start eating. Samuel then pushed the bowl closer to Aria and continued to wait for her to begin eating. He looked back at Damon who was still reading his book then turned back to Aria who was still not eating. He sighed and sat down next to her.

He was about to begin feeding her when she herself grabbed a spoonful of soup and began feeding herself. Aria happily opened her mouth after every spoon and gladly ate her soup. Samuel was happy too because even though human food tastes like dirt to him, he still knew how to make it. They both had fun entertaining each other until Aria finished her meal. She slowly climbed down the chair and walked to the living room as Samuel stood up from his seat and put the dishes in the sink. She climbed up the couch and settled herself next to Damon. Damon continued to read his book until Aria put her little hand in the middle of the book and brought it down, away from Damon's face to his laps.

"Were you aware of the odor from this child?" Damon asked Samuel. "I'm barely starting to pick it up...it smells like...a wet dog," he said as he stood up from the couch and just kept his gaze at Aria.

"Actually I was. I think her father must have been a shape shifter. The scent from her mother was different than hers."

Damon slowly began walking away from Aria who was still sitting in the couch looking back at Damon.

"You must be joking. Surely you would not be insane enough to bring a shape shifter here," he said trying to convince himself.

"Relax, there's a chance the gene skipped her. Besides it's only a faint scent. It's not like anyone can easily pick it up."

"I guess not."

It has been almost a week since Samuel brought Aria to his log cabin home in the middle of the forest. Fortunately, the vampire hunters had moved on from Venice. Days passed and Eric, their older brother was due to come back home anytime soon. This began to worry Samuel because he was still not sure what he would tell Eric about Aria. One evening the worrying came to an end. Aria was enjoying playing with Samuel and Damon when they both picked up a familiar scent lurking around their home. Damon with his inhumane speed quickly ran to the door and stepped out. Samuel then quickly lifted Aria from the floor and carried her in his arms. Damon came back inside with a smile on his face followed by a tall pale man that looked like both Damon and Samuel. "Look who's back!" said Damon. The man behind Damon had a smile on his face until his eyes landed on Samuel and Aria.

"Welcome home," said Samuel.

Eric just looked at Samuel with an expression that said hold me back before I do something reckless.

"Who is this?" asked Eric with a disgusted face, "and why does she smell like a wet dog?"

"This is Aria. I found her in her home and I couldn't just leave her there. The house was on fire and her mother had been taken."

Eric approached the girl and the girl stared back with a hint of fear as she tightly held Samuel.

"Aria, this is Eric," introduced Samuel.

Eric just looked and waited for her to say something. Nothing happened. Slowly she then stretched her little arm out to shake Eric's hand. Eric just looked at her hand debating whether or not to shake it. Eric continued to stare at her hand and decided to ignore it. Then looked up to Samuel.

"What are you going to do with her?"

"I'm going to raise her as my own."

"It's not a safe idea," said Eric with his cold voice, "before I arrived, there were still a few vampire hunters outside of Venice."

"I think I can manage," said Samuel with certainty.

"She will be your responsibility," said Eric as he walked into his room and closed the door behind him.

Samuel looked at Aria and then to Damon who just looked scared. "Don't worry. She's here to stay."


	6. Meet the Volturi

As it turns out days turned to weeks, weeks turned to months and months turned to years. It has now been eight years since Aria became part of the family. Yet Eric still strongly disapproved of her presence. But it seemed as though he slowly tried to open up to Aria and she gladly accepted him. Aria grew up believing that Samuel, Eric and Damon were her brothers and that her mother had died due to an unfortunate disease. It was Aria's eleventh birthday and the brothers had gathered around to celebrate. On the morning of her eleventh birthday Aria was woken up by the scent of something sweet and warm.

"Happy birthday Aria!" yelled both Samuel and Damon as they entered her room.

"Make a wish," said Samuel who was holding a cake and held it in front of Aria. Aria closed her eyes, thought for a while and blew the candles on the cake.

"Thanks you guys," she said sitting up on her bed. Samuel placed the cake on the nightstand and sat on the corner of Aria's bed.

"So, what would our beloved sister like to do today?" asked Samuel.

Aria thought for a while before speaking, "well, I was hoping maybe we can have a picnic...outside."

Ever since the vampire hunters came to Venice the brothers were extremely careful not to intercede with the path of the hunters. As a result of the paranoia, Aria has rarely let out to the outside world. Samuel looked to Damon and Damon blankly stared back.

"Well then, can you be ready in 15 minutes?" said Samuel as he stood up, grabbed the cake from the nightstand and walked out the room.

"Happy birthday kid," said Damon as he patted Aria's head and followed Samuel.

Once her brothers left her room Aria quickly pushed the blankets aside and jumped off the bed. For her own safety and the safety of his brothers Samuel had hired a tailor long ago to come to the house to make clothes for Aria. Aria rummaged through her closet and pulled out a nice simple summer dress and some boots for hiking. Before exiting the door she grabbed a hat to keep the sun away from her pale skin. As soon as she stepped out of her room she found herself face to face with the oldest of the brothers Eric.

"Oh, sorry Eric I didn't mean to-" she said startled.

He looked down at her with his serious face and let out a heavy sigh. "Here" he said as he stretched out his hand holding a small box. "Happy birthday."  
Aria looked at the box and hesitated before accepting it. "Thanks," she said as she begun to open it.

"It belonged to my...the girl I loved. I have no use of it anymore but I thought you might like it. It's not much, but it meant a lot to her."

Before Eric could say anything else Aria wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Thank you" she said as Eric hesitated to return the hug "are you coming with us?" she asked as she broke apart from the hug. Eric stood silent for a moment and then responded by nodding his head. Aria smiled with joy and continued to walk through the house to the living room where she patiently waited for Samuel and Damon.  
"Ready?" asked Samuel.

Aria stood up from the couch and walked to the door. It didn't take a while before the four of them could find a nice grassy spot to lay the picnic blanket on and sit. The environment was nice and quiet.

"It's so lovely isn't it, the weather and all," said Aria.

"Agreed," said Damon "what do you want to do Aria?"

"I don't know..."

"Why don't we play a game of hide-and-seek?" suggested Damon.

"Why don't you just walk into the city under the sunlight" replied Eric in a rude and sarcastic manner. Damon pouted his face and turned to Samuel. Samuel laughed and shook his head.

"I like Damon's idea," he said.

"Who's the seeker?" asked Damon happily.

"I'll be seeker," said Eric stepping forward. "One...two...three..." he began to count. Immediately everyone else ran away to hide from Eric.

"Damon!" whispered Aria so only he can hear "can you give me a lift?" she asked pointing up at the branches of a tree.

"Sure kiddo," he said as he lifted Aria until she managed to reach the nearest branch. "Thanks," she said as she climbed the tree. After Damon helped Aria, he ran to hide himself.

"Ninety-nine...one hundred," counted Eric, "ready or not, here I come." The first scent Eric picked up was that of Samuel's. He followed Samuel's scent and found him hiding behind some bushes.

"I found Sam, who's next?" said Eric in a loud voice.

The next scent he followed was Damon's who was hiding behind a tree.

"We found Damon," he said aloud.

The last one to find was Aria. They all followed her scent and found her hiding at the branches of a tree. They surrounded the tree and asked her to come down.

"Catch me!" she said to any of her three brothers. She then threw herself off the tree branch and landed safely on Samuel's arms.

"You crazy little monkey," he smiled at her when she was in his arms.

"I'm hungry," she said as he put her down on her feet. She held Samuel's hands and he walked her back to the picnic blanket and behind them followed Eric and Damon. She threw herself on the picnic blanket and went through the basket looking for something edible. She found some sandwiches and ate them while her brothers just looked at her.

"For a little thing, you have a big appetite," said Damon admiring how fast Aria gulped down those sandwiches. While Aria was eating Eric stood up.

"Where are you going?" asked Damon.

"Home," said Eric sternly. "I'll meet you guys there," and walked away. Eric glumly walked back to his cabin home, his mind wandering. He hasn't been feeling himself lately.

Eric is a stubborn man and will not rest until he finds the answers to his many questions. Most importantly who turned him and what happened to his love...  
Eric got to his home and walked straight to his room. After resting for a while he heard a knock at the door. He followed the noise and opened the door where three men,with similar features to him, Damon and Samuel were standing. The were covered in black robes and a medallion around their necks with a V in the middle.

"Yes?" said Eric standing at the door. "Good evening" said a man. "We are from the Volturi. My name is Felix, and this is Demetri," said the man as he pointed at his friend.

"How can I help you?" asked Eric.

"May we come in?" asked Felix gesturing towards the door. Eric was skeptical and hesitant but he slowly opened the door and stepped aside for them to enter. Eric closed the door behind him and turned to the men who were eyeing the inside of the house.

"It has come to our attention that there is a human living amongst you...and your brothers," said Felix giving Eric a sly look. "We would like to recruit the human for our army."

"The human is not here," said Eric making sure his words did not give out hints to who the human was or how she looked like. "I'm sorry," said Eric. Felix knew he was lying.

"What if I told you I can help you find out who turned you and where your girlfriend is?" said Felix with a hidden faint smile. Eric stood silent for a while and thought hard.

Would he give up someone his brother loves for someone he loved?

"I am not interested," said Eric once more, this time more loud and clear. Felix looked at Eric with an expression that was shocked becuase he knew Eric was lying to his face. Felix kept his cool and turned to Demetri.

"Thank you for your time," said Felix as he made his way to the door and the other man followed. Eric clenched his teeth and waited for the men to leave. He closed the door and formed his fist into a ball. In the blink of an eye, a hole was formed on the wall next to the door. He felt ashamed for actually considering to trade his brother's love to find his...


	7. We've Come For Her

Felix and Demetri left Eric's house angry and disappointed. Both headed back to their home in Volterra to tell Aro of their attempt to get the human.

"The Volturi does not take no for an answer," said Demetri to Felix. "What would Aro do if we came back with an empty hand?"

"The Volturi also do not give second chances," said Felix. "Come," he simply said and Demetri followed him.

Felix was persistent to get the human. He thought he should gather a small militia of vampires and lead them to Eric's home. After Felix and Demetri came to meet Eric, he could not stop thinking about their offer.

"Are you okay Eric?" asked Damon. "I'm fine!" said Eric sternly. "You doesn't seem alright," muttered Damon as Eric walked away.

Eric then walked to Samuel who was reading to Aria. After Aria had fallen asleep, Samuel stood up and walked out of the room. "Eric?" he said as he stood in front of his oldest brother. Eric hardly smiled and was always serious but this time Samuel noticed that Eric was more bothered by something than he's ever seen him. "We need to talk," said Eric. Samuel closed the door behind him and followed Eric. The brothers ended up somewhere in the forest not too far from their home. The moon was at it's highest which only meant that it was almost midnight.

"Is something bothering you?" asked Samuel as he tried comforting Eric by touching his shoulder.

"The girl needs to go," Eric simply said as he stepped away from Samuel's touch, "she's not safe here".

"What?"

"Someone's looking for her..." Eric took a deep breath before speaking again. "They offered to help me find what I want to know if I give them the girl."

Samuel blankly stared at Eric.

"Don't worry...I declined. But think about it she's only young and it would be better if we let her go now than later."

"I can't do that," chuckled Samuel sarcastically. His expression then became serious. "Like you said, she is young. She needs us now more than ever!"

"She is not even human! Nor a vampire! Her dog like bloodline will soon take affect and she will turn against us! It will happen so quick we won't even notice. Not even she will notice."

"That is why I have to be with her. I promised to help raise her. It is not her fault for what she is! Why must you have so much hate towards her? I'm sorry Eric, if you cannot accept her, then I have no choice but to move on."

"Sam!" yelled Eric as Samuel walked away leaving Eric alone in the forest while he played the conversation over in his head.

Days have passed since Aria turned eleven and the family was still celebrating. This night was movie night. As the brothers stayed up watching Aria's favorite movie in the living room, she leaned her head on Samuel's lap and closed her eyes until she fell into a deep sleep. She was then startled by a loud thud at the door. Her brothers immediately stood up and surrounded her. The door was knocked down and in came in a pale looking human with crimson eyes and sharp teeth. Then came another and another. They quickly surrounded the brothers and waited for a command. Eric then noticed a familiar face.

"Sam...take the girl," he said as he quickly ran to one of the vampires and tackled him down. "Run!" he yelled to Sam. Damon then joined Eric to help him take down the other vampires.

Sam swiftly wrapped his arms around Aria and carried her out of the house.

"You can't hide!" yelled Felix to Samuel.

"Leave it to me," said Demetri as he took off his coat and went after Samuel.

Felix then joined his militia of vampires to fight off Eric and Damon.

Meanwhile Samuel was in the forest trying to run as fast as he could and far away. Felix was right. Samuel could not hide, especially if a tracker like Felix was after him. As Samuel continued running, he heard a noise not too far away. As Samuel looked around to see if he was being followed, he ran into something so hard he fell back. Under the bright lit moon, Samuel realized he had bumped into Demetri. Demetri then tackled Samuel, put one hand around his neck and kept him on the ground.

"Where is the girl?" he snarled.

"Not with me," gasped Samuel.

"I'll find her," said Demetri just as Samuel grabbed his hand and threw him to a tree.

Demetri quickly got up and pushed Samuel against another tree.

"Come, this isn't over," said Demetri as he put Samuel's hands behind his back and led him back to his home.

When Samuel was brought to his home, it wasn't more than a burning building and the only thing he could see was the militia of vampires and Felix. Samuel tried running inside to see if his brothers were still inside but Demetri's tough grip wouldn't allow him.

"Where are they?" snarled Samuel.

Felix ignored him and walked up to face Samuel.

"I followed them and I only found him. I can't track the girl," said Demetri. "Should we send the others to find her?"

"That won't be necessary. Let the girl come to us," he said as he forced Samuel on his knees.

"We have your brother girl!" yelled Felix into the open field "show yourself and we won't hurt him." After a few seconds nothing happened. "Is that your decision then? Fine," he said just as he was about to snap Samuel's neck.

"No! Wait!" yelled a voice.

Felix cold lips turned into a satisfied smile. As he was about to approach Aria, Samuel broke free from Demetri's grip and pushed Demetri away.

"Sam!" yelled Aria as she tried running towards him. She made it halfway until a black bag was put over her head and her arms were wrapped by someone else's. Meanwhile the other half of the militia vampires held Samuel down.

"Let her go!" said Samuel through clenched teeth.

Aria screamed and squirmed as someone attempted to carry her. They yelled in agony because when they touched Aria's arm, they felt their hand burn.

"Let's go," said Felix to the militia and Demetri. They all scattered leaving the burning home and Samuel unconscious in the middle of the forest.


End file.
